Vending machine



NOV 2, 1954A s. l.. cHlLDERs :TAL 2,693,300

vENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Unitedg States Patent nice Spencer Childers. Eresno.,v,. andi William BJ.

Madera, Calif, ,assignors ,tovendorlaton Manufacturiieng Company, Eresno.,. Calin,v a. corporation.. ofjCali Application-January 19; 1951, SerialNo. 206;'776. `z-elaimsr (oran-11s.

The, present. invention relates. to. vending; mahiilef. and; more.y particularly to.. an improved merchandise. ref.- tainingmeehani'smxfor such, machines. requiring afmini.: mum. of power for. actuation. to. release. merchandise. diningyendingoperations.

Vending machines, for boitledjeveragesf and. the. like; to which reference isy made. herein, are generally op.- eratedby customer manipulation or electrically inr respouse toicustomer triggering.. Suchdevices. are almost.

universally responsive. to. theI insertion. of ja coin of`suit. ahle' si'zey inI a-freceiver provided for theA purpose and' driven through. a. vending cycle electrically or. byb-rcuswv tomer lever operation.l In each,instance', it is. desilv ableto minimize thepower requirements of tlei Vendi inggoperation;

ItA is aISothegeneral practice to.. carry bottled' Hel/ep agesand`other vendahle merchandise in a rotatalf'lemag*L` azine. from which' the'merchandise is ejected in response to, the. stepped'.= progressioI-iof the magazine' pasti a given.

In manysuch machinesA the problems: of-l retention and` releasei are. metv by 'horizontal ejeetionf offthe" lower'-- most unit of' merchandise. fromeach stacki Although operable; suchI structures possessundesirablyx high power reqnii'ementsandi necessitate und'esirablyy largecabinets'.

fonsucli' machines hecau'se'of'f'they horizontal movement; The minimizing of cabinet size` in vendmgv machinesl- Warren.

2,693,300 Ifatented. hlm.. .2.; 195.4. 2- l. 'Y

sneb; a. trigger., fingen., a.: select io11 o imntoved form.. adapted i to translate; gravitational descentr offi. Bota traduis-erwgen@ the 1ilreinidengtetri1 1:l ,fihsre leaseaintornotrvatlon. ofgthe.; maglzineic tatin' g mgtopierations,

Other?.u objects., are .to i prov-ide.- mnroved elementss and. arralignements.J thereofL in; zu device ofL the:` character.and:-` forrtliepurposcsset-fortli.

Stlll.; f urthen objects 21nd.-advantagesn will'. become app parent.. 1n... the. subsequent.. descriptiom .inl the.l sp. eci.t -rw ioni..

Referringtorhedrawing;

Figt. 1'I iss. ai fr'agrnentaryf,r frontx elevation-i of: a Evendingg machines mechanism constructed in xa,ccordanee--.with-.1the; principles., of. the instant.. invention., asi. viewedi with .i the: frontfof a .cabinet therefor removed.

Elsey 2.-.131l a vertical'section throug-ltfthefmechanismftaan taleenalonglinefZwzgirrEigg1.,

l butsshowing theffrontio themachine inclosedipi Eigd4 4is1amcnlargdiverticalfseetiongthrough .thtfdntlsosfI zine showing the trigger nger in elevation.

Eig.:5.is@atfragrnentaryhorizontal.-sectionfthroughthe magazines. on.; the;1 meelrrnnsmi illustrating; trigger; tingen opel-anon.

Referrinerin-detailito thetdrawingz:

Thefpresentiinventioniis employedrin-aconinnctoniwithr a...vend1ngr machine@ enclosedi in.; ar cabinet; 10e havingz ai nluralityfofiinsulatedswalls 11;. The cabinet :hase-am open;

.forward portion which is normally closedLbyxrneansi-ofr an insulatedadoor 412seXte. n lingziniSealed. lrelation acrossc the:onenlfrontrofthee.cabinet; "Ehercabinetrlll-anddr 12 provide a sealed insulated comp' agrtrnentr1 ;for,ther etiolosure1 otr vending? apparatus hereinatten described; Theicompartment; lssrefugerated hymnsE suitatile1means; not: shown. so! as; toi cool bottledr beverages therein: tot" a-potableitemperaturm supportingestructure issprovded forrmountingrfvende. ing apparatus; imthef oompartmentli byrsecuringlawpairi of; channels lfi longtudinallyf.`7 an horizontally entendi ingr positionagainst opposite; sitlezr walls.; ofi; the.: cabinetr. Although only.` ones is.; shown; a; painfoftr Z-'f supportsr1f9r aref secured; on@ and; entendi between-i the; channels; 18 in.J spaced-i paralleli relationr. A'. plurality? off cross.: channeli' menlhersi.A 20;` are; located inc'supportedi: relationf transe..v

of a given capacity has longlfbeen recognized as an im-i f' portant goal particularly where the vending machines are@ tqibeiutilized' im such limited' areas asfftheatre-lbbbios; hallways; waiting rooms; loungesa-nd theL like:

Anl object` ofthev present` invention: isf- 'to' provide anr improved# merchandise: retainingf mechanisms fon vendingg machines:

Anotherobjecti. isi toi provide a1. merchandise. retainingv mechanism: fon vending machines:A making possible; the: substantial, reducti'om of: cabinet?. size intvendingmachinem ofi a given. capacityand; of thepowen requirenientsiforV the performanceofvending. operations.v

Another, object. is.. to.' provide; a. merchandise retaini ing; mechanism.-y forl vending machines making possible? the;.dependable retention and/convenient. release oli` the; lowermostounit, of merchandise, of a stack.k of. suchr mera cliainditse downwardly. withnolappreciable lateralz'orfhorh. zontal movement;

Anothen object to provide. an. improved. release able retaining .mechanism for `b ottledj beverages-.arranged in. stacked; relationv in. a. movable.. magazine..

' Another object; is.toprovd'e a trigger. linger adapted.A tor supporti. s-.tacked horizontal,` bottles. offlioverages andi the like. in.. a rotatable magazine. that is..- tripped.' inrre.: sponsefy to, rotationi of they magazine; tor release a. lowenmost liottleoi` at, stacklwith. no1 appreciable upward; no1; horimntall'movement` of.' such... bottle. for, release..

Another,v object. is.. to provideenvcombination. wtli'^ versely off thee. pairf of; Z:.`snpportsr andiseeured? theretoi ini parallel relation; Theeuppensurfacesofi the-crosse channels 20; aretin; a: common: horizontal.- plane upons whichvisa secured a: sheet: metal support plate -21'.

, fc rcastmetali bearing 22 isfibpltedi. asY atv 23;. in axiallyfupright; position substantial1yifcentral1-yofvtheisup:L porting plate!r and the; compartment: 13s. A magazineg. indicated generallyi-byi thetreferenee:numeral Zit, o'fgfgsulA stantiallv. cylindricalzshapegtis supported axially-vertically ori-fthe--b'earing 22:.for rotation: Although the'lower-endg only-ofthe magazine is-shown inithedrawings; the upper: end thereofiisu-constructedandiassembledsomewhat similarly--tol its bottomfend;V The magazineisrprovided-'witl arrl axially centrali huhx 2S ot`='rnetall or the-like which' isf rotatablymounted' onl the# upper end-f of thef bearingy 22'.'` The huh' is formed withY a radially extending pange"v 26.1 A' pluralityo;f-sheet1metal division plates arel provided?. each` having:` any inner lip-2& bent' atY snbstantiallylright anglesA thereto.u The lipsare secured@ to the-periphery.

- of the hub 25 in overlapping relation, withI theplatesia stacked relation-to he-verifiedtherefrom-rr v are engaged"y by the bottom endsv oitlie bottlesrandf the`l bottles..thusmaintained inconned. stackedrelationo the.

pockets29 'The magazine. is" provided with; a plurality of* brackets, 34 eqtlaliin' r t .number to.the.nur.r.1l1erl QFP inthe. magazine;

Ones bracket; is. attached. to theu end of eachdivision plate 27 and the outer edge surfaces of the combined brackets define a cylindrical peripheral surface at the lower end of the magazine. A gear ring 35 is secured to the outer surfaces of the brackets and maintains the brackets and division plates in desired spaced relation. Gear teeth 36 are formed in the lower edge of the gear ring 35 so that the magazine may be driven in a manner hereinafter more fully described.

As illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, a sheet metal web 37 is secured edgewardly to one face of each of the division plates 27 and extends in a clockwise direction therefrom, as viewed. Each web 37 terminates at its edge in `a clockwise direction from the separator plates in a terminal `channel 38 extending vertically of the magazine. A rubber or other resilient retainer strip 39 is received by each terminal channel 38 and extends edgewardly therefrom in a clockwise direction with an attaching plate 40 secured over the outer face of each of the retainer strips as bya plurality of screws 41 passed therethrough. The retainer strips are provided so that bottles may be inserted endwardly into each of the pockets 29 past the outer lips 31 thereof and be dependably retained in the pockets by theresilient urging of the bottles'by the strips over behind their respective cooperative lips 31. This structure comprises the subject matter of a co-pending patent application and is not described in greater detail at this point. As will vsoon become apparent, the magazine is driven in stepped progression in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3. A sheet metal guide plate 45 is attached to the leading end of each bracket 34 and extends upwardly therefrom a distance substantially equal to the diameters of two bottles to be contained in the magazine.

Each guide plate 45 is slotted vertically at 46` from its,

respective bracket 34 upwardly a short distance. Each bracket is also slotted horizontally at 47 tangentially of a circle inwardly concentric of the outer cylindrical surface of each cast mounting.

vA trigger finger 48 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 49 in the slot 47 of each cast mounting 34. Each trigger finger 48 is formed with an arm 50 extending substantially radially from its pivot pin through the slot 46 in its respective guide plate 45. Each arm extends angularly upwardly from its pivot and terminates in a head 51 at the lower end of each magazine pocket 29. The head of each trigger finger is formed with a surface 52 which isl concentric with the axis of its respective pivot pin 49 and may be of cylindrical, frusto-conical, or other desired surface of revolution complementary to the bottles 30...,Y

To engage bottles of the form shown in the drawings, fragmentary frusto-conical portions are excellently suited to the purpose. Each trigger finger is cast or otherwise formed with a central longitudinal web 53 which extends downwardly therefrom in the form of a tail or extension 54. A helical tension spring 55 interconnects a portion ofeach web 53 and an ear 56 on each bracket 34 in a position to rotate its respective trigger finger in a counterclockwise direction viewed radially inwardly of the magazine. An angular stop 57 is formed on each bracket 34 under the arm 50 of its respective trigger finger 48 so that the counter-clockwise pivotalmovement of each trigger finger is limited to an extent that the head 51 of each trigger finger extends into its respective pocket a maximum suicient to engage and support the lower-most bottle in each pocket. As shown inv Fig. 4, limiting of the counter-clockwise rotation of the trigger fingers to positions diametrically related to the lower-most bottles of their respective stacks achieves dependable support inasmuch as the triggers are pivotally mounted a distance appreciably below the bottles.

The magazine 24 is adapted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, and this `is accomplished by providing a helical spur gear 64 which is in constant mesh with the gear teeth 36 on the gear ring 35. The spur gear 64 is mounted on a shaft 65 which is journaled on a horizontal axis in a pair of spaced gear mounting plates 66 supported on the plate 21. The spur gear 64 and the magazine are manually rotatable bv providing a releasable coupling 67 which is operably rotatable by lever means, not shown, accessible from exteriorly of the door 12.v p

The lower-most bottle of each stack of bottles in the magazine pockets 29 is released as its pocket moves to a vending position.

the path of the plurality 'of tails 54of ythe trigger lingers Atrip rod 72 is secured to one of the cross channels20 and extends upwardly therefrom in 4 48. The trip rod extends through its cross channel and is maintained in a proper vertical position by means of a pair of nuts 73 threaded onto the trip rod against opposite sides of a portion of the cross channel.

At the vending position of the vending machine is provided a sheet metal chute 74 onto which a bottle gravitates when released by tripping of its respective trigger finger 48. As illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the chute '74 is radially outwardly and downwardly angled so that when a bottle falls thereon it gravitates to a position of convenient customer access. The chute is attached at its inner end to the upper surface of one of the Z supports 19 by means of a bracket 75 secured to both the under side of the chute and the Z support. The outer end of the chute is provided with a pair of spaced wings 76 each of which is bolted at 77 to the forward ends ofthe two innermost cross channels 28. The chute 74 is wider in its upper portion than in its lower portion with shoulders 78 therebetween on which a bottle rests as it slides along the chute. The door 12 of the vending machine is provided with a vending opening 79 which is longitudinally aligned with the chute 74 so that a bottle deposited on the chute 74 slides longitudinally outwardly thereon into the vending opening in the door where the bottle is available to the customer.

Whenever the lower-most bottle is released from one of the magazine pockets 29 downwardly onto the chute 74, it is necessary elevationally to support the remainder of the bottles in that respective pocket. This is accomplished by providing a base member which is bolted to the upper surface of the support plate 21 and has an inner separation or division finger 86 and an outer separator finger 87 anchored thereto. Each separator finger is provided with a portion 88 downwardly inclined in the direction of magazine rotation adjacent to its anchored end. The separator rods 86 and 8'7 extend concentrically of the magazine in a direction from their anchored portions opposite to the direction of magazine rotation and have horizontal portions extended over the chute 74. A sheet metal guide plate 89 is also attached to the base 85 and extends arcuately upwardly and opposite to the direction of magazine rotation therefrom to aid in guiding the lower-most bottle at the vending position downwardly into the chute therebelow.

As a precaution against the stack of bottles in any of the pockets 29 precipitating therefrom as a result of a structural failure of a trigger finger, a track or rail 90 vof substantially cylindrical form is secured to the upper Operation r1-`he operation and utility of the present invention are believed to. be apparent from the foregoing description and are briefly summarized at this point. The vending machine is periodically serviced to replenish the bottles wardly below the lower-most bottle of each stack. To operate the machine, advance the pockets in a counter-clockwise direction, as

the gear 64 is manually rotated to viewed in Fig. 3, successively to a position over the chute. As each magazine pocket 29 approaches the vending position, the projecting terminal ends of the separator fingers 86 and 87 wedge between the lower-most bottle and the next bottle thereabove. This causes the bottle above the lower-most bottle and the superimposed bottles to be supported while the lower-most bottle is vended.

As each pocket 29 approaches its vending position over the chute 74, the cam 54 of its respective finger 4S engages the stationary trip rod 72 which detains the cam portion 54 of the trigger finger and pivots the head of the trigger finger upwardly. Upon sufficient movement upwardly, the head 51 releases the bottle previously enthe separator fingersx86 and 87 temporarily supporting the bottles above the vended bottle, no more than the lower-most bottle is vended with the remainder of the bottles retained. in the poclzet thereabove. When the magazine has been rotated suticiently that the cam 54 of a trigger linger has moved past the trip rod 72, the spring 55 urges the trigger finder back into effective position to support a successive bottle thereon gradually lowered by the separator fingers upon continued magazine rotation.

It will be observed that the surface 52 concentric to the pivotal mounting of the finger 48 is moved across the supported bottle 30 with a minimum of force. In the release of a bottle no displacement thereof from its normal position in the magazine ise required prior to its gravital descent directly from the bottom of the magazine into the chute 74. Heretofore it has been considered necessary to slide a bottle endwardly or to lift it preliminary to discharge. Such preliminaryk physical displacement required increased driving power as compared to the release by the finger of the present invention.

Further, it will be observed by reference to Figs. l and 4 that immediately following the release of a bottle by the tripping action of a trigger linger 48, the stack of superimposed bottles rested on the ngers 86 and 87 descend downwardly of the inclined portions 88 thereof. This gravitational descent of the bottles operating against the inclined portions thrust the magazine in the direction of its normal operating rotational movement, This serves to compensate for the small amount of power required to trip the finger and a vending operation is made possible with an absolute minimum of driving power applied to the shaft 65.

Still further, the trigger finger of the present invention makes possible the vending of bottled beverages and the like directly downwardly from the magazines in which they are stored. Such downward movement from the magazine makes possible the construction of a smaller cabinet for housing a vending machine of a given capacity. Well known vending machines of the type requiring an endward movement of the bottles for delivery from the magazine require several inches additional thickness and thus are less conveniently located in restricted areas, such as theatre lobbies, hallways, waiting rooms, lounges and the like.

The trigger lingers are economical to construct, dependable in operation and fully effective in performing their intended functions.

Although we have herein shown and described our invention in what we have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of our invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent systems and apparatus.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vending machine adapted to dispense articles of axially elongated substantially circular transverse form having a substantially cylindrical magazine mounted for rotation about a substantially erect axis and having a plurality of radial partitions defining elongated substantially erect pockets adapted to receive articles to be vended in substantially horizontal stacked relation therein axially radially of the magazine and having open lower end portions for the discharge of such articles, the magazine including means for supporting the radially inwardly disposed ends af the lowermost article in each stack; means for releasably supporting the radially outwardly disposed ends of the articles in the magazine cornprising trigger fingers pivotally mounted on individual axes substantially radially of the magazine laterally adjacent to the lower ends of the erect pockets and spaced radially of the magazine from the article support means, each finger having an upwardly extended head pivotally movable to and from its respective pocket providing an arcuate article supporting surface concentric to its pivotal axis, and a stop mounted in the magazine adjacent to each of the fingers engageable with its respective finger to limit pivotal movement of its finger into its respective pocket to a position with the arcuate surface of its head engaged with the lowermost article in its pocket at a position on said arcuate surface aligned with the pivotal axis of the nger diametrically of said lowermost bottle.

2. In a vending machine adapted to dispense articles of axially elongated substantially circular transverse form having a substantially cylindrical magazine mounted for rotation about a substantially erect axis and having a plurality of radial partitions deiining elongated substantially erect pockets adapted to receive articles to be vended in substantially horizontal stacked relation therein axially radially of the magazine and having open lower end portions for the discharge of such articles, the magazine including means for supporting the radially inwardly disposed ends of the lowermost article in each stack; means for releasably supporting the radially outwardly disposed ends of the articles in the magazine comprising trigger fingers pivotally mounted on individual axes substantially radially of the magazine laterally adjacent to the lower ends of the erect pockets and spaced radially of the magazine from the article support means, each finger having an upwardly extended head providing an arcuate article resting surface concentric to its pivotal axis, resilient means pivotally urging each of the fingers in a direction causing the heads thereof to enter their respective pockets to support the outer ends of the lowermost bottles in the pockets, stops limiting inward pivotal movement of the iingers to positions diametrically related to the' lowermost articles in their respective pockets, and means for pivoting the fingers individually from their respective pockets for bottle releasing purposes.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name v Date 493,087 Hayden Mar. 7, 1893 816,975 Gilbert Apr. 3, 1906 1,944,499 Crimp Jan. 23, 1934 2,290,275 Childers July 21, 1942 2,433,177 Cornell et al. Jan. 27, 1948 2,581,170 Carlson `lan. 1, 1952 

